INFLUENCE OF AGE AND HEALTH ON IMMUNE FUNCTIONS AND TRACE-ELEMENTS

Apparently healthy elderly donors were screened according to a simple protocol that included clinical examination and the determination of h ematological and biochemical values. This screening was performed to d etect subclinical alterations which might interfere with immune respon ses and trace element status. The elderly were divided into two groups . The first group consisted of 22 (age 76 +/- 1 years) positively sele cted elderly (PSE), i.e. healthy subjects with no hematological and la boratory alterations, the second one comprised 13 (age 75 +/- 1 years) negatively selected elderly CNSE). Data were then compared with those obtained from 40 (age 35 +/- 2 years) healthy young controls. In both groups of elderly donors, plasma zinc levels were normal, while plasm a copper concentrations were increased. Intracellular values of zinc a nd copper in mono- and polymorphonuclear cells from both groups of eld erly were within reference limits. After in vitro activation, granuloc yte chemiluminescence activity was impaired only in NSE. A decrement i n the number of circulating CD3 lymphocytes and an increase in CD8d, C D57 cells were found in PSE, while NSE showed an increased number of C D3,DR cells and CD8d,CD57, CD8b,CD57 and CD16,CD56 positive cells. Our results indicate that only plasma copper levels were affected by age, whereas subclinical alterations in hematological or biochemical value s appear to impair immune responses in the elderly.